We paddled across the border on a quiet, calm Sunday, alone on the water except for the occasional school of ducklings. For once, there were no fishermen or barges to avoid. We finished our first day in Belgium in the sanctuary of our tent, tucked away in a leafy forest, the evening sunlight casting dappled patterns on the roof of our canvas home. The peace and solitude of that day lulled us into a false sense of what was to come over the subsequent days...

With three weeks to go before our departure date, we are very relieved to say we are ready to go – or as ready as we’ll feel! Thanks to the generosity of our Gold Sponsor Elsevier, we have reached our expedition funding target and have been able to secure the final bits of kit needed. This has also allowed us to focus on our fundraising efforts, and we can report that we have now raised over £21,000 for Pancreatic Cancer Action.

Kate has wanted to do a fundraising challenge for Pancreatic Cancer Action since her father passed away from this disease in 2015. From the three years he was ill, it was clear that pancreatic cancer was not getting the attention or research it needed, and this still stands today. So instead of complaining, she decided to do something about it!